So I got sidetracked from writing the rest of my stories. And this is the product. Another Super Rising Fic, but this time totally friendship and not fluff. Hahaha. Kinda inspired by the concept in "Message In A Bottle". But I have nothing else to say.
Summary: Yuuta discovers a bottle on the beach that leads him to befriend someone he never imagined. (Super Rising Pair friendship)
Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of the characters used in this fic.
Yuuta was glad when the team let them off of practice early for the weekend. Atsushi had invited him to Chiba, mostly since Saeki wanted them to come visit and join Rokaku for a Saturday practice. So both boys had left as soon as they were able to on Friday and arrived early evening in Chiba. The smell of the beach welcoming them.
"It feels nice to be back in Chiba." Yuuta felt relaxed for once, getting a pat on the head by the third year.
"I'm glad you can relax. You always seem on edge lately." It was also no kept secret that Fuji was calling and harassing Yuuta every day, although it was a secret as to what the conversation they had was. Yuuta usually looked mad and like he was going to beat someone up every time his brother hung up the phone.
"Yuuta, Atsushi," Saeki and Ryou had decided to meet the pair at the train station. They headed off to the tennis courts to play a match. Atsushi and Yuuta made a laughable doubles pair, but they at least didn't get killed in the match.
Saeki was probably more excited to have Yuuta spending the night than playing a match with a childhood friend. It was rare that he was able to spend time with the younger Fuji without the older brother being there to glare daggers in his back. But it was fun, spending the night watching movies and playing games before passing out in the early morning.
Yuuta woke up earlier than Saeki, stealing his house keys and going for a run. The sun was barely up and the beach was pretty much abandoned. Yuuta just continued his run along the beach. However, he stopped when he noticed something in the sand. Was that a bottle? He knelt down and picked it up. He struggled to tug the cork out but managed to get it out after a second. He tugged the content out, a letter. He took to reading it.
Dear you,
I don't know who you are but I am Ryoma. I have no friends and live in a new foreign land to me. I always wanted to live and stay in Japan. But I'm not able to. I liked writing because I am bad at talking. So if you have the moment, let me talk to you.
I know I am small and write bad. I am not old for I am actually eight. I work hard so I could be a writer. I want to write story about my travels. I want to write story of something amazing that everyone will read. But I wonder if you are even reading this. So I will tell you my story.
My father met my mother because of tennis. He was a pro and quit and now he teaches me the sport. My mother is kind and nice. She always smiles and babies me. My father doesn't and always picks on me. Mom wants me to be the best so I work hard. I want her to always smile at me. Sometimes she cries and pretends she doesn't. No one will tell me why.
All my friends are in Japan and I had to say goodbye to them. I won't see them again no more and it makes me sad. No one here talks to me because I can't speak English well. None of them can speak Japanese so I am alone. It's so boring. Only time people pay mind to me is to laugh at me in class or when I play tennis. I don't understand much when they talk to me because I'm still learning English. But at least we play the same game.
If we ever meet... Will you be my friend? I don't know your name, but I would love a friend. I would love someone who can stay by my side. Someone who will laugh and smile with me. Someone to play tennis with. Do I even make sense? But I do not care where you are. I don't care how old you are. I don't care how old I am when you get this. No matter who you are. All I ask is that we become friends.
You who I do not know, you are now my friend. My friend now and forever. We have not met, but we know each other now. I look forward to the day we meet. That day, I will smile and thank you for being my first new friend. Thank you for not letting me be alone in this world.
E Ryoma
Yuuta blinked at the childish hand writing. He wondered how this even hit the beach at Chiba, especially since the boy had gone to America. But then he paused. Wasn't Seishun's first year an E Ryoma? Yuuta didn't know much about Ryoma, but he could surely find out.
With bottle and letter in hand, the St Rudolph regular ended back to his friend's house. Saeki was up and making tea while his mother was making breakfast.
"How was your run, Yuuta?" Yuuta handed Saeki his keys as he took a seat. Saeki handed him a cup of tea.
"I found something, Saeki-san." The Rokaku regular blinked and took a seat as Yuuta placed the bottle on the table. "It's a letter." Yuuta then read the letter to Saeki, even his mother listening to the letter.
"You should find him, Yuuta-san." Saeki glanced at his mind. "Oh this reminds me of a movie. Oh how romantic." Saeki wanted to groan. His mother loved chick flick movies and anything to do with romance. She'd surely say that if Yuuta wrote him a letter that it was a love letter. It was just how she was.
"Although I can't say it's romantic, I do agree that you should find this Ryoma. You know... Seishun's first year is Echizen Ryoma. I heard he moved here from America." Yuuta blinked.
"Really?" Saeki's mother placed breakfast in front of the boys. "Thank you."
"Yup. Thanks, Kaa-san." Saeki smiled at Yuuta. "Find him, you're his friend now, Yuuta. You have a job now to find him." Yuuta frowned and ate his breakfast. He wasn't a detective, Syuusuke was better at that. He always sucked at mystery games and never correctly guessed who the killer was in mystery movies.
"I'm not good at the stuff, Saeki-san." Yuuta finally muttered after a minute.
"Well, if you don't find him, then who will?" Yuuta thought about it.
"What if it's not Echizen Ryoma?" He hated the idea of just approaching someone without even knowing if it's him?
"Then you keep looking. But what if it is him? You'd never know unless you ask." Yuuta finished his breakfast just as Saeki did.
"Fine, fine." Saeki grabbed their plates and put them in the sink.
"Head back, Seishun has afternoon practice. You can come to practice with us over summer, Yuuta. Finding Ryoma... This is something that should be done right away." Saeki smiled at his friend. Yuuta just grumbled.
"I suppose so. Thank you for letting me stay the night." Saeki went with Yuuta to the train station.
"Practice is over." Tezuka called. Some had noticed that there was a guest standing on the courtside and had become the talk.
"Saa... Yuuta." Fuji had wandered over. "What brings you here?" Yuuta pushed his brother aside to chase after the first year who was heading the club room.
"Echizen Ryoma!" The boy stopped and turned around.
"Fuji senpai's little brother." He greeted the boy. Yuuta stopped in front of the younger boy, taking a deep breath.
"My name is Fuji Yuuta." Yuuta then held out the letter. "I think if we're to be lifelong friends, you better remember that." Ryoma accepted the letter, looking at it. The first year's cheeks tinted pink as he scratched his cheek. Golden hues glanced up.
"I never thought anyone would ever get this..." Taking a deep breath, Ryoma smiled brightly. "Thank you for being my first new friend, Yuuta-senpai. I'm glad that my friend is a tennis player." Yuuta was a little stunned that it had been Ryoma who wrote the letter. But, for some reason, the second year smiled for the first time in a while.
"I'm glad that you gave me the chance to be your friend." Ryoma chuckled.
"Ne, now that we're friends for life. How about a match, Yuuta-senpai. I know a nice quiet court at a temple." Yuuta continued to smile with a nod.
"Sounds good, Echizen-kun." Ryoma wandered into the club house to get the rest of his things before walking away from the courts with the St Rudolph regular. The rest of the Seishun students were so confused.
"Good. But it's Ryoma. After all, you're my friend." And it was all because of a message he wrote and put in a bottle.
Pffttttt. This so sucks. And omg it was so inspired by the concept of the movie Message In A Bottle, which I was watching at the time. OMG I'm so raging at how that ends. I don't usually watch movies like that but Ffuuuuuuuu. So mad. At least mine is a happy ending. Unsure, but maybe I'll turn the idea into a couple chapter long fic (and by couple chapter I mean 5-10 chapter long fic depending on my laziness). Anyway... R&R as you please.